


A Lesson in Trust

by avislightwing



Series: Closer Than You'd Think [4]
Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Awkwardness, Cuddling & Snuggling, Episode: e060-066 The Stolen Century Parts 1-7, Fantasy Paul Blart Mall Cop, First Kiss, Fluff, Gen, M/M, Magnus is a Good Friend, Romantic Friendship, Sleepovers, but you can't prove anything, taako doesn't trust ANYBODY, taako has one (1) emotion, you think taako slept around? you FOOLS that means being VULNERABLE
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-05
Updated: 2018-09-05
Packaged: 2019-07-07 07:56:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,164
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15904107
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/avislightwing/pseuds/avislightwing
Summary: It’s not that Taako doesn’t want to kiss anybody. It’s just that he doesn’t trust anyone enough... except for maybe his best friend.





	A Lesson in Trust

**Author's Note:**

  * For [blueshine](https://archiveofourown.org/users/blueshine/gifts).



“Hey, Mags?”

“Mmmyup?”

Taako and Magnus were on Starblaster duty, for the time being. Lucretia was also around, somewhere, Barry and Lup were off collecting scientific data, and Merle had wheedled his way into the boat Davenport was taking around to the different port towns to ask about the Light. So, obviously, Taako had grabbed Lup’s nail polish stash, rounded up a bunch of snacks and some of their favorite scrolls (Die Haard, Paul Blartte: Mall Cop… the list went on), dragged Magnus into his room, and declared that they were having a boys’ night.

It was now nearly eleven. All nails had been painted, snacks eaten, and scrolls watched. Magnus and Taako were sharing (read: arguing over and tugging back and forth) a fleece blanket, and Taako had his head on Magnus’s shoulder.

“Y’know… how I haven’t really – I’ve never, uh, kissed anybody?” Taako said.

“Sure,” Magnus said.

“It’s not that I didn’t want to,” Taako said. “It’s just… I never trusted anybody, I guess. You know?”

“Not really,” Magnus said without thinking. “I mean, I’ve kissed a lot of people.”

“Fuck,” Taako said quietly. Then, “Never mind. We should, uh, go to sleep, fuckin’ – better be up early and shit, make sure everything’s – all the parts on the Starblaster are running smoothly, all that –”

“Wait,” Magnus broke in, sitting up, rubbing his eyes. “I… start over. Sorry. I didn’t realize we were having a serious conversation. I’ll listen now.”

Taako let out a frustrated breath. “Fuck, fine. Whatever. I was just going to say that maybe I could kiss your stupid face because I trust you and we’re friends, I guess, and I want to know what it’s like, and I really appreciate the whole _sitch_   you got going on vis-à-vis the sideburns, and – yeah. Uh. You don’t have to say yes, or anything. But I thought I’d ask.”

Magnus turned to look at Taako. He was wearing his best trash wizard sleep outfit – comfy sweatpants and a t-shirt Magnus suspected used to belong to him but couldn’t remember that said _MY STRENGTH MOD IS HIGHER THAN YOUR GPA_. His hair was short this cycle, unbleached, and looked softer than usual, because the ends hadn’t had time to get crunchy like they always did. Even at eleven, he was still wearing his hat, which was resting on his ears, and slowly resting further down on his head as they dipped. He looked as uncomfortable as Magnus had ever seen him – shoulders tense, lips thin, eyes pointedly staring anywhere but Magnus.

“Yeah,” Magnus said. “Okay.”

Taako jerked to face him. “Wait. For real?” he said incredulously. “Gonna be honest, my man, thought that was gonna be a hard no.”

“I think you’re cute too,” Magnus said honestly. “And if you want to figure kissing out with someone you trust, I’m okay with that.” He smiled. “Like, you’re my best friend. I’m not gonna say no. I don’t _want_   to say no.”

“Oh,” Taako said. He bit his lip. “Well. That’s – that’s cool.”

“So?” Magnus hinted, when Taako didn’t move or say anything else.

“So what?”

“You gonna kiss me?” Magnus puckered his lips and made kissing sounds, which, to his relief, broke the dazed look on Taako’s face into a snicker.

“You’re the fucking worst,” Taako said. “Yeah, okay. Just… be patient?”

“Dude, this is your ball game,” Magnus said. “I’ll tell you if like… I want to stop or something, but otherwise, you do what _you_   wanna do.”

Taako made a face as he carefully threw one leg over both of Magnus’s, settling in his lap and sending the blanket to the floor. “Yeah, uh, that’s the thing, I don’t _know_   what I want to do,” he said.

“Begin at the beginning, then,” Magnus said, leaning back against the couch. “Take your time.”

Taako hesitated, then leaned in, arms braced on Magnus’s shoulders. When their lips met, it was tense and awkward, and Taako almost immediately drew back with a look on his face like a cat that had smelled something disgusting. “Gotta say, that was _not_   great,” he said.

“Yeah,” Magnus agreed. “Um – it feels like you’re. Bracing yourself?”

“What would I be – fuckin’ – ugh.” Taako let his forehead fall against Magnus’s. “Yeah. Sounds about right.”

Magnus lifted a hand to Taako’s face and gently brushed his thumb over Taako’s lower lip. “Do you really want to do this?”

Taako’s eyes fluttered closed. “Yeah. I do. I’m just…”

Magnus could hear the end of the sentence as clear as if Taako had said it aloud. _Scared_.

“That’s okay,” Magnus said. “It’s all fine. You’re safe. I’m not going to do anything you don’t want.”

“That’s not what I’m afraid of,” Taako mumbled. “I know you won’t. Never would. Fuckin’… softie. Guess I’m afraid I won’t like it.”

“What if you didn’t?” Magnus asked. “What then?”

Taako was silent.

“What if you did?” Magnus added

“Why do you have to be so goddamn… wise?” Taako said, nudging his nose against Magnus. “Supposed to be Merle’s shit. You’re the fighter. You don’t know stuff.”

“I know some things.” Magnus smiled. “I know you.”

“Yeah,” Taako said softly. “You do.”

This time, when Taako kissed him, it was soft, and tentative, and still awkward, but it was _there_   in a way that it hadn’t been before. It felt like a butterfly had landed on him – he didn’t want to move or he might scare it away. So Magnus’s eyes fell closed, and he let himself be kissed.

He could feel Taako experimenting – more pressure on his mouth, the slight tug of teeth on his lower lip, an uncertain brush of tongue. Carefully, he wrapped his arms around Taako, tugging him closer. Magnus liked this, having Taako in his arms, Taako kissing him.

“So?” Magnus said when Taako pulled back for a moment.

“I like it,” Taako said, then grinned. “With you, at least.”

“Do you wanna do it some more?” Magnus asked. “I can, like, kiss you back. If you want.”

“Why the fuck not,” Taako said, and dove back in.

This time, Magnus could feel Taako smiling against his mouth as he kissed Taako back. He slid his hands up Taako’s back right to where he knew Taako always got really tense, and worked his fingers into the muscles until Taako relaxed against him with a sigh. “This okay?” Magnus asked, mumbled, as one hand moved up again to push into Taako’s hair, cradle his head.

“Mmmyeah,” Taako said. “Jus’ don’t… pull or anything.”

“I won’t,” Magnus said, and went back to kissing Taako in earnest, parting his lips to Taako’s more confident explorations, laughed when Taako muttered _oh shit_   after accidentally nicking Magnus’s lip with a sharp canine.

Eventually, it devolved into soft giggles and progressively sleepier kisses, and Taako slipped off his lap back onto the couch.

“Thanks, Magnus,” Taako said at length, head against Magnus’s shoulder again, lips kissed tender.

“Anytime,” Magnus said. “Thanks for trusting me.”

“…Anytime,” Taako said.

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on tumblr [@birdiethebibliophile](birdiethebibliophile.tumblr.com)!


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